Midnight Sky
by Penmaster51
Summary: A newborn is born in Volterra, home of the Volturri. Aro, curious on her possible future & power, invites her to join them. Should she accept, Demetri must be her guide to the guard but by the midnight sky, he is something far more important to her...
1. Chapter 1

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only the OC! Beta-read by Kiwistar!**

**Notes: **Demetri/OC, Before New Moon, Gore & violence, Possible swearing, Possible implied adult themes later on (and I mean, later on- not in the next few chapters!)

**Please review if you can!**

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Pain, that's my first memory. A wildfire that swept through my body; it raged war and death on everything in my body. I felt my mouth open and I know I did scream but it didn't help. I felt no cooling touch, no gentle hand of death as countless books I had read, said that is what you would feel. Nothing peaceful and serene, just more agony that burst into me. The hours were blended together by the fire; moments went by slowly, dragging along like wet clothing.

I believe I passed out sometime after I was attacked. But only after what I thought was forever, which could have only been an hour or even just a few minutes. Endless agony, even unconscious I swear I still felt the pain. Three days, I learned. Three days I had taken to change.

I woke up, about midnight, and I gasped. Everything was far clearer than I remembered. The buildings popped out even in the darkest hour of the night. They were quite plain to my eyes, despite three days ago I found myself… I frowned, trying to remember what happened before. But my head merely spun the memories together and blurred them together; I couldn't figure out what happened.

I glanced around, not blinking I noted, as I took in this new world. Was I dead? Is this Heaven? Or Hell? I went to church with my parents as a child, I think… I couldn't bring up any memories of a church building or even a community center. I sighed and the scents attacked me at full force.

I could smell the flowers down the alley, the trash in a nearby can, a few little birds, and the other scent… a juice flowed into my mouth and instinctively, what was left over of my human needs, I swallowed it. It was almost sour and sweet, bittersweet almost. The frown on my brow deepened and I couldn't understand. But the scent made my throat start to burn again. My hand shot to it, scarcely touching it with my fingertips.

I felt odd. No… I felt different. I could hear the low noises of cars going by, the dripping of water coming off a pipe somewhere… my ears were intoned to everything. The scent hit me again and I took off running.

Everything attracted to me was like watching a slow motion part of a movie. I easily dodged the buildings, the corners, watched where the cobblestone was upturned or even unstable, not willing me to trip. But I was trying to focus on everything around me and the scent guided me. Suddenly, I was exploded into a million different ones.

Then something reached out and tried to grab me but I danced around it, snarling a ferocious snarl and I glared at them. My first thought was: how dare they ruin this thrill! The mere movement of my legs was causing happiness, such an innocent movement and they've stopped it. Anger boiled in my body and I growled again, it starting deep in my chest and it ripped out of my mouth.

I could make out the details in their face. Frosted brown hair on upon his head, scarcely seeable to the human eye underneath a smoky black cloak. He pulled it down, staring at me with unmoving crimson red eyes. His skin was like a marble white, beautiful but dangerous. He almost reeked of the danger; it wrapped around him and it seemed to love him.

My stance shifted as I became puzzled. I knew something was odd; something that was completely different from three days before. For a moment, I wondered if I had just hit my head too hard and this all was a nice little dream. He stared at me when suddenly another cloaked one came out. The scent, the most appealing, mouth-watering scent hit me again, the same force was before and I whimpered.

My throat burned and they weren't letting my quench the burning sensation. Something just told me inside my head that that scent would put out the burn and smother it until it came time again for it.

"A newborn, Jane. Scarcely hours old from the final transformation." The frosted brown haired man purred. His voice was like silk, floating and caressing my ears. He seemed to be smirking at me and I growled, despite the prettiness of his voice.

"Demetri," spoke the other figure. Her figure was short compared to the two of us. Her blonde hair was pulled into a slightly messy bun on top of her head and her crimson eyes were surrounding by dark black make-up. She was more dangerous than the first one; she had to be by the way the man, Demetri, avoided touching her. He was submissive to her.

The absolute order of who was leader and who was the follower confused me. But I didn't like the air around the blonde one; it irritated me to be in her presence. I growled, scooting away from them. The girl arched an eyebrow and continued to talk with Demetri.

"She could have a power perhaps."

Demetri stared at me.

"Maybe, Jane. She's quite thirsty."

"Yes. She is."

Thirsty? Powers? The words, they confused me and coming from these unknown people, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. A gentle wind ruffled and immediately, I picked out the scent. I spun around on a heel and dashed off. There were growls and snarls rippling from behind me but I didn't stop. Something told me that I could outrun them. I heard two different footfalls behind me and I growled now, suddenly ignoring the scent that seemed to be dimming and burst into another spurt of speed. I wouldn't let them outrun me!

The building scenery faded and we encountered the countryside. I continued to race onward, enjoying the rush of the wind ruffling my blonde hair and the ground flying underneath me. The smell of greens, morning dew and other things, flew into my nose and the smell of flower pollen was strong.

"Stop! We'll report back to the Master and see what he tells us. She may just be another silly newborn," snarled Jane. I didn't hear the male say anything back and I didn't stop to find out if he did. I kept running until morning's light.

xxx

The sunlight bounced off my skin, reflecting almost diamond like sparkling. I gawked at it, slowly turning my arm so I could see the reflection from different angles. For a moment, the burning in my throat was forgotten and I was absorbed into staring at my skin. Flawless, marble white just like Jane and Demetri's own skin. The shock subdued and the need to hunt was strong. My muscles froze as I listened throughout the woodsy area I was in.

The shouts of something in Italian caught my attention and I silently sprinted off. I saw a herd of sheep of being moved around, their little hooves pounding an odd rhythm to my ears. But my eyes only lingered on them for a moment; they darted to the man standing there. It was an older man, aged and silver haired. He shouted something and whistled through a small, metal whistle that was in his mouth. A black and white sheep dog barked and started to dart around the sheep, herding them once more.

My body tingled in anticipation at the sight of the man. The juice flowed into my mouth and for once, I didn't try and swallow it. Though I knew it was unattractive, I couldn't stop myself as I stared at the man. I leapt out of the safety of the tree line. I didn't smell any more humans but I didn't care.

The man turned around just as I arrived in front of him. All he could say before I touched him was a small little gasp. My hands shot to his throat and I felt the bones crumble underneath my fingertips, the delicious smell of blood racing around underneath his skin. I felt the juice flood my mouth and I lunged from his throat. His skin shredded underneath my teeth like wet paper. I pressed my lips to it and started to drink, the blood spilling over my mouth and dribbling onto my shirt, my pants and the ground.

I could hear it splash onto the grass blades, blending into the morning dew barely there.

I moaned delightfully as the blood soothed my throat. The burn censed to exist and I felt the body start to shrivel beneath me. I groaned inwardly, trying to get more out of it but not a single drop came. I didn't stare at the man, tears forming in my eyes and they didn't spill over. A choked sob escaped my throat and I picked up the body, tearing off into the woods to bury him.

I dug a deep grave and dropped the body in there, tossing and throwing dirt angrily down there. Finally, the ground look undisturbed and I glanced down, realizing my shoes were covered in blood. I took them up and tore them to shreds, all while sobbing. The tears still didn't spill. But I felt good, my body felt good. I wanted to run again.

I buried my shoes near the grave and decided to head deep into the area. Just so I could…understand what I've become. But the word already had been floating in my head and finally it appeared on my tongue. It couldn't be true, impossible! But everyone knew that legends come from real things that inspired them.

"Vampire," I whispered, glancing at the grave before I crumpled and curled into a tiny ball. The urge to run away disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only the OC! Beta-read by Kiwistar!**

Here's chapter two! **Any reviews are greatly appreciated!**

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I didn't enter the city of Volterra, Italy until night fell and all the humans went to sleep. My memories slowly crawled back to me while I waited for the sky to turn dark and the Sun be replaced with the Moon. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, closing my eyes and stopped breathing. I let my memories take me over, gradually replaying in my head…

_A graduation party to Italy, that's how I ended up here. It must have something that my friends and I had been planning for a long time. We were coming here on one of their requests; we planned a whole road trip throughout Europe. We had been planning a trip like this since we were all fourteen._

_All three of us came over in a plane. The first stop: Volterra, Italy. Then we'd work our way up. The first day was planned as a tour through out the city. It got later and later as we moved about the glorious city and suddenly, my friends were ready to head back to our hotel. But I had wanted to see the city in the night and so I stayed up._

_Curiosity burned in me and only hours till midnight, I snuck outside. I was amazed by the shadows of the buildings that they still cast, the stars how they seem to glow against the blanket of the night. It was indeed beautiful. I didn't realize I was wandering and by the time I knew that I was lost, it snuck up on me. I didn't even get to see my attacker before I was blinded by pain. The only thing I was able to do was drag myself to the lowest area I could find. Then I waited for it to end._

I opened my eyes, slowly drifting them over the scenery around me. Then I got up gracefully and started to sprint towards the city. I took my time, enjoying the wonderful scents and sounds of the area around me. I saw little wildlife, despite being so quiet and I stopped, frowning. Then I glanced in the direction of the city, curiosity burning inside me again. Yes, I remembered that feeling.

I started off again, darting and weaving through the trees till I hit the outskirts. I settled for a human pace walk; I had a gut instinct telling me that when I ran, I wasn't running…humanly possible. I wasn't human anymore- I was a vampire. A creature of myth and lore; the legends that were passed down through Europe and over to my home country, North America.

Each continent had it's own beliefs on the creatures. I just hadn't known they actually existed.

I sniffed around, my throat only tingling at the scent of humans. I was still quite full of my man from earlier but I knew, with my entire energy-wasting running, I would be hungry- thirsty, which ever it may be- soon. I start to wonder if my friends were still here. I glanced around, trying to bring up memories of the other night's buildings. After a few moments of wandering I did find a scent. But not an old one, I thought…

"So… you did come back?"

I immediately recognized Demetri's purr and spun around to see him standing there. His pale, marble skin was the same along with his frosted, brown hair. His crimson eyes flickered to my bare feet and blood-splattered clothing before they darted back to my face. He pulled down his hood, watching me.

I shifted my stance, curling my lip and hissing lightly. He appeared smug but didn't move.

"Demetri, we do have a time limit," spoke a male voice. I saw the figure race forward, reaching us in a moment's heartbeat and pulled down his hood, revealing quite sculpted dark brown hair that didn't seemed to move and just like Demetri, have marble white skin and crimson, blood red eyes. But he was taller, about a head and a half or so, than Demetri and had muscles that went along with his height.

Demetri nodded, murmuring, "I know Felix." His stare didn't leave me.

"Our leader, Aro, would like to meet with you."

Only then did I remember I had not used my voice since my transformation. I swallowed the juice again, Felix smirked, and I spoke.

"Do I have a choice?"

My voice was steady, strong. Beautiful, some would call; intoxicating… it wasn't my human voice. Demetri arched an eyebrow, curiosity spread over his face but then he regained control and a smug look appeared once more.

"No. You don't." Felix said, taking a step forward.

Immediately, my vampire instincts sprung up and I snarled, edging back. Demetri's arm shot out, stopping Felix but his eyes were a dead stare on me.

"She's young, Felix. Almost two days. Her newborn instincts are active greatly. It would be best not to push her."

Felix's eyes flickered to Demetri but his blank look returned no answer. Felix sighed and his body relaxed, his muscles that I could see shifting the fabric of his black cloak loosen up; my own did not. I felt cornered and trapped, like a wild animal in a cage caught by two hunters. I didn't like it. My body wanted to move, to run away; I didn't like the odds stacked against me.

But the way they held themselves, obviously, they weren't going to let me leave freely. I forced my shoulders and the rest of my body, into a calm, almost submissive state. Felix grinned victoriously; Demetri's face was unmoved.

"Well, then, we must get going." Felix stated.

I glanced around one last time before Demetri spun around and started to lead. Felix stepped to the side and inclined his head for me to follow. I curled my lip as his smirking face, absolutely loathing it at the moment and quickly followed after Demetri. I heard Felix take up right behind me, a shadow behind, falling into pace with Demetri and myself.

We weaved through and about the city until we found an entrance to the clock tower. A memory of walking by it, foggy and unclear compared to my new vision, when I was still human. Demetri nodded towards it after he had unlocked and I walked through, feeling Felix's breath down my neck.

The sudden looming of a building made me tense, quite jumpy and a longing of the woodsy area I was in earlier, appeared. I was desperate to get out of here. I wanted to run, to fight if I had to, if it meant freedom. But I glanced at both of them, knowing my chances were one in a million to escape, with all my limbs and body still.

"Where are we?" I breathed quietly as we entered a small corridor and I saw the sheen of metal, elevator doors. For dark and almost medieval vampires, obviously they used new technology. All I saw in the corridors were torches dotting the walls, the same tan stone from above and the faint echo of our feet. I could only guess we were underground, assuming off the very earthy scent mixing with my own and theirs.

"Underneath Volterra," Felix answered.

My eyes didn't snap away from the ground, feeling prisoner among my own kind, I suppose. Demetri pressed the little button and the doors slid open, revealing an odd, green interior.

He once again inclined his head in the direction I was suppose to go and said, "Ladies first."

I lifted my head a bit higher, narrowed my eyes at him but stepped through. Demetri slid in front of me and Felix took up my back, right corner. My hands curled into tight fists and I stopped breathing, stopped blinking and focused on the reflecting door, seeing our reflections. I saw Demetri's eyes meet mine and they lingered for a moment; I felt something shift inside myself and with that feeling, he looked away.

The doors dinged open. I let out a breath and Felix moved in front of me, leading this time. I followed silently, my shoulders resuming a slightly slouched, defensive position. Then the scent reached my nostrils. I didn't realize till now how the burn had already started in my throat. I immediately swallowed the juice and my eyes immediately locked on the doors in front of me.

The air reeked of the human scent when Felix opened the doors. There was a woman, who had to be mid thirties that greeted us. She said something in Italian, standing up and ruffling her clothing, her hair and that sent waves upon waves of her scent into my nostrils. I barely took notice that she had dark, pretty but plain hair and a deep tan.

A snarl exploded from my throat and I lounged forward, snapping my teeth. But Felix wrapped his arms around my waist and threw me back. I roared angrily and immediately darted around him, trying to be able to get a good, clean and direct path to my prey.

Felix hissed and again grabbed me when my instincts took over and my hand stopped his arm, gripping his wrist at a very inhuman strength. His curled lip started to turn pained as I felt the bones, just like the man's throat, snap underneath my grasp. I sneered victorious when suddenly I was thrown to the side.

Demetri stood tall, staring me down as I gathered up energy into my legs and then grinned. The woman, still in a bit of shock, watched me. I curled my lip, exposing my teeth and I growled threatening, when it hit me.

My growl was cut short. My body stiffened and I started to tremble. The agony, it was as bad as the transformation. I threw myself to the ground, clawing up the tile or stone or whatever hard surface was underneath me. I gasped, trying to get up and fight what was destroying me. I felt like I was being torn apart, my limbs were slowly being dragged at different rates, so I was always feeling pain.

For a moment, I wondered if I was truly going to die. Then, even amongst the pain, I thought for a heartbeat. For a moment, I wanted to die.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only the OC (Natalie)! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

It's still "Dead of the Night"; just under a new title! Also, I'm trying to remain un-OOCness as possible, but it's kind of hard so please bear with me once in a while, lol.** Please leave a review if you can!**

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"Jane! That's enough!"

A deep snarl, something that I hadn't heard before and not that I probably would have recognized it, roared in the corridor. The pain without delay stopped and I gasped, realizing I was laying flat on my back against the ground and my arms lay at my side. My hands were slightly curled. I gasped again, my chest heaving up and down; my eyes fluttered as I tried to grip on what had just happened.

"Demetri?" asked the sickly sweet voice.

I looked up gradually, my eyes focusing in on the blonde vampire who had entered the corridor. Jane. Her bun was fixed now, neat and tight with a few strands hanging fashionably loose. The make-up was untouched and her clothes also unchanged. I rolled to my side, staggering to my feet and frowning.

The pain…

"Gianna, it would be best if Felix took you somewhere else." Demetri said, his voice smooth once more and not rough with anger. Felix walked to her side and immediately let her lead, using his giant mass to block my view of her. I whimpered quietly; Demetri's eyes snapped to me but immediately darted back to Jane.

Felix and Gianna disappeared but not before she glanced at me once more. My throat burned and I groaned inwardly. But I straightened up, wondering if I was still whole. I was in one piece; I had every limb, every finger. I wiggled my toes slightly just once, just to make sure. Every one of them were okay. I relaxed ever so slightly, my eyes never leaving Jane's face.

"A little pain never hurt anyone." She whispered. Neither Demetri nor I missed the authority in it. She was the leader, higher level than either of us, even though I didn't consider myself to be…with them. She glanced at me and gave a sickening smile.

"She's fine. Come, Aro has been waiting." She said and turned on her heel, walking towards another hallway.

"Come." Demetri's voice was hard and cold; I winced from it but followed quickly after Jane. He settled behind us but I heard him sigh in frustration. At what? My thought was unanswered as my mind drifted to how odd it would be to come here as a human.

The doors in front of us were vast when compared to anything else I had seen before. Another urge to run was strong, and it tingled my muscles. But I chose to stay, against my instincts.

My nostrils flared at the smell of a dozen vampires from inside. I shifted my weight nervously, my short blonde hair, cut just above my jaw line, moved along with me. I glanced at Demetri; his crimson eyes, which appeared darker with a hint of black around their edges, bore into my own.

I wondered if my eyes were a bright red too. As a human, they had once been a pretty green. I had even gotten many compliments on them. My throat still burned.

"Come along, newborn," Jane said.

Anger flared up in my stomach and I curled my lip at her as we walked in; I hissed quietly at her but cut myself off when I saw the interior of the room. The whole room was made of marble with a green design imprinted upon it; there were multiple places along the walls where something in Italian was inscripted into the stone with perfect lettering. I took a deep breath, identifying more than nine different scents other than Demetri's, Jane's, and my own.

"Welcome, child!" A tall and elegant vampire stood up froma highly decorated throne, placed in the middle of the room, along with two other empty thrones on ether side of it. A whole range of dark colors, black, gold, and mahogany brown were colored his more colors than I thought there would be in just a chair. He had styled, pitch black hair that had a section pulled to the back of his head, placed in a ponytail of some sort, and laid flat. The rest of his hair was straight and went a little ways below his shoulders. His bright red eyes contrasted against his almost albino skin. It wasn't like my own marble white skin; his was far more fair- almost older looking.

He sat back down. My eyes scanned the room; there were three guards on my left and the same on my right. My hands clenched into tighter fists. I stopped breathing and stared back at the man seated in the middle throne.

"Ah, well done Demetri! Where is Felix?" he asked.

"There was an incident, Master… Felix has taken Gianna to a safer location for the moment." I felt as if all eyes were on me. I wanted to shrink into nothingness; I hated how their eyes stared at me.

"Ah, yes. Well, it is excellent that she wasn't hurt."

I noticed a male standing near the two other empty thrones. He had a similar appearance to Jane, though he had dark brown hair and pale lips. He had his hands clasped behind his back and stared at the three of us with a blank expression.

"So, my dear newborn, do you remember how you came into existence?" the man seated at the throne asked, his voice quite excited. His eyes flickered mischievously, as if he already knew the answer. My eyes had momentarily looked into his before I glanced away. I pursued my lips and shook my I spoke anyways.

"I don't know."

The man, whom I was starting to assume was Aro, shifted in his seat and smiled at me.

"What is your name?"

That I remembered right away.

"Natalie."

He smiled even more and stepped down from his seat.

"Demetri, fetch our brothers!" he waved his hand away and with a bow of his head, Demetri walked away. Aro clapped his hands together and walked down the three marble steps, his smile still on his face as he approached me. Jane stepped to the side,her eyes switching between her master and myself.

"You are very young, dear Natalie. How old are you?"

I frowned, confused by his question. Why, I was twenty; I had actually only had my birthday a week ago from Tuesday, which was yesterday. But maybe he meant, as I was a vampire…

"Two days, roughly." I whispered.

"Hmm. You are indeed a quite… controlled."

"She fed earlier, Master." Demetri said as he strode back into the room, following two other vampires. One had a long, mournful face and curly black hair at shoulder length. He sat down to the right of Aro's seat. The second vampire had snow-white hair and bright red lips; he wore a scarf of some sort and appeared irritated.

"A newborn, Aro?" he asked.

"Ah, but Caius, this was the one I had been hearing about. Do you not remember the two I sent out the other day! They said she was quite wonderful smelling! I even felt it for myself!" Aro responded cheerfully.

I stared at him in disbelief. He had vampires…following me. I shivered and look down, but my eyes darted back to him. He smiled at me and walked closer. My body stiffened and I couldn't help but curl my lip. He frowned but then laughed.

"My dear, you have no need to be afraid!" he said.

It felt odd to be in here, with so many of our kind in one area. I wasn't sure if it felt wrong or normal to have so many in one place. My mind was still spinning and I was still trying to grasp this new world. Aro's eyes darted over me.

"I do remember why I was so interested in you, Natalie! You're special, you know. Very special, my dear." Aro purred. I stared at him, silent but curious. "They found that you were quite intoned to your friends. Do you remember that?"

His voice was suddenly lower, a faint whisper to everyone. I nodded my head slowly, out of the blue remembering that I had played multiple guess-what-I'm-thinking games with my friends at many cafés we stopped at during the other day on a tour. Other than that…no, I didn't remember anything else. My head was still disorientated and the burning in my throat wasn't helping me focus. He smiled and offered his hand.

I stared at it for a long moment. I wasn't sure. Part of me wanted to runaway; it felt different, too different to be among so many of them. But the other part was almost overwhelmed by fear, curiosity, loneliness and other feelings I couldn't identify. I bit my lip, biting down on it for a moment. Then I stretched and took his hand.

At first nothing. I wasn't sure if I was looking for a reaction of any sorts. His eyes lit up and he titled his head, his eyes stared into mine. For a moment it remained like that, but suddenly, I felt like my mind was spinning. Something tugged at my mind gently, like a piece of fabric stuck in a tough spot.

_Ah, Natalie! So this is your amazing gift? Can you read my thoughts?_

_I-I…_ I was still in shock, staring at him with wide eyes.

_Hmm. Then how can you hear me? Perhaps…_

That's when I felt a wave of a dozen thoughts crash into me. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on them but it was too much. I felt the tugging slip away until Aro's mind spoke up again.

_It appears, dear, that you and I can only speak to each other if we direct the conversation at each other._ _Did you feel anything?_

I blinked at him before I responded. _I felt a tugging… sensation. When I… released it, I heard your thoughts directed at me. I'm responding to you by…by directing my thoughts just at you. I can hear you clearly as if you were talking to me. Maybe it's contact…_

We detached our hands slowly and the tugging disappeared. I frowned, focusing on Aro when I felt a weaker, but a tugging all the same and Aro smiled but I got no response from it. He flashed brilliant white teeth and like their red eyes, I wondered if mine were the same.

"Well, that was quite exciting!"

"I-I…" I stuttered. "I don't understand." I finally whispered. Aro chuckled and stepped back, giving me some space of my own.

"Natalie, you are indeed special." Then he smiled cheerfully and strode back to his chair. He sat down, placing each elbow on it's own rest and clasped his hands together in front of him and then crossed his legs. His grin seemed to be endless; it was almost… unnatural.

I remained unmoved. I still was trying to understand what had just happened.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

Hehehe, an update:D **Please leave a review if you can;)**

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"Ha, ha, ha," Aro laughed as he stared at me. "Natalie, your skill would be quite useful in many situations. You are young, very young, dear child and it would be such a waste for your powers to go unnoticed! You would be a great addition to our company, our coven, Natalie. Wouldn't she Marcus?" Aro glanced at the sad-looking vampire. "She could prove useful." Marcus's words were slow and rough in comparison to Aro's own gleeful voice.

Aro's hands unclasped and made a sweeping gesture to everyone in the room.

"An invitation, my dear."

My voice was still stuck in my throat and I had a feeling that I didn't have a choice to join them. Part of me told myself to join them, at least just till I got a hang on everything new. I needed the experience and obviously, it wasn't against the rules to feed on humans. If I said I would join, that could mean giving up any chances of seeing family again.

But if I chose to leave, I didn't know if they would let me leave or even take no as an answer. If I left, I would be alone with a new speed, new strength and a new… power, only to learn from trail and error. I also had to worry about my skin's reaction to the sun. That would mean that I would have to go into hiding during the day or avoid direct sunlight.

I swallowed the juice rising into my mouth and my thoughts darted to the still painful sensation in my throat. I raised my eyes up to him; they wavered on Aro's face. His lips pulled into a gleeful smile because I knew my face revealed my answer.

"I'll stay."

He laughed, the sound echoing in the tense and silent room.

"Wonderful! Just wonderful!" He clapped his hands together and I started to wonder, just what I had gotten myself into. Caius glared at me and touched Aro's hand, slowly recoiling it back without breaking his look at me. Aro glanced at him, his smile slowly fading until he glanced at me.

"A good observation, dear friend." Aro said. He beckoned a guard from his position over and whispered, "Send for Heidi" and then flicked his hand away. The man glanced at me, his skin the pale marble white as everyone else's and dark blonde curls covered his head that I had not noticed before but then he swiftly darted through the doors. There was no clang of them shutting.

I shifted uncomfortably. I felt like I was on trial and it seemed like it was being aired for the whole world; I would have been blushing if I were still human. On my chest, dried blood specked my plain T-shirt and I noticed a tear at the bottom of it. My pants were filthy and torn at the knees; I felt so out of place compared to everyone else.

Suddenly, I smelled a different scent and I looked over my shoulder, seeing another vampire walk through. She had dark and wavy mahogany curls that draped her shoulders, and wore quite flirtatious clothing that flaunted off her already extraordinary beauty. Her clothing was far different than everyone else's plain black or smoky grey clothing; it was actually quite surprising to see the brightly colored clothing in here. She arched an eyebrow curiously at me and smiled.

"William," I suspected he was a coven member of some sort, "said that you sent for me?"

"Ah, yes, Heidi! William may have told you about our newest member?" Aro asked.

"Hmm. He mentioned one." The William guy snuck back in and shot to his spot, appearing like a statue once more.

I noticed the V-shaped pendants wrapped around his neck; it glinted when it caught the dim lighting of the room. I glanced at everyone else; Aro, Marcus, Caius, Heidi, Demetri, Jane, Alec… everyone in the room, except for me, wore one. It was a stylized gold capital 'V', and where its point was suppose to be, was a ruby-colored stone carved in a small diamond shape that was bordered with a thin line of the same gold metal. Between the two top ends of the 'V', sat more visible leaf designs. Inbetween the two inner leaves, sat another ruby-stone carved into an oval bordered in gold metal. In the middle of the 'V', sat the actual crest. It had an odd shape that was cut into four sections. A flying bird was in one set of the diagonals and a bare tree was in the other.

Did all covens have a crest? Perhaps. I merely noted that everyone hade the exact same one; I wondered what the meaning behind the birds and trees. The 'V' obviously stood for their coven name, if they should have one…and if they do, I didn't know it. I decided to test my new founded power.

_Aro?_ I called out mentally, wondering what would happen. There was a flicker in his eyes and nothing. I closed my eyes and focused harder into my mind; at first, I felt like I was being pulled into all sorts of different directions. But, somehow, amongst that, I was able to pick out a tug I recognized. I latched onto that one and again called out: _Aro?_

The tugging opened up, releasing a smooth, silky voice in my head. It wasn't clear as when I talked to him when we had contacted. A theory perhaps; the connection was stronger when in physical contact.

_Yes dear? _I could hear the excitement bubbling in his voice.

_Your coven… does it have a name?_ I felt almost childish asking this.

_The Volturi, my dear. You are a Volturi guard._

I opened my eyes and Aro was smiling at me, his head at an incline. I still felt the connection between our minds; I didn't know how to explain it, but I felt his mind with my own. I mentally pulled away from his mind and the connection slipped away; for a second, I felt the tugging of all the different minds around me but I shrunk back more and my mind was safe in my head once more.

"Heidi, be a dear and find Natalie some new clothing."

Heidi eyed me and obviously not viewing me as a threat, smiled at me. "Yes Master." She said. She beckoned me closer and I followed her, glancing over my shoulder. As the doors closed, the only pair of eyes I saw directly was Aro's, but I had a feeling that everyone was staring.

The only sound through the corridors was the clicking of Heidi's heels and the soft padding of my bare feet against the ground. I took careful sniffs here and there, curious at all the different scents.

"What's your name?" Heidi asked and I immediately cut off my breathing, stopped and looked at her. When I noticed she started to falter her own walking, becoming aware that I had halted, I started up again. I swallowed the juice once more and spoke:

"Natalie. Natalie Chase."

"Hmm." Heidi hummed, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. She allowed me to walk side by side with her, though I let a good two feet seperate us. I still didn't want to be touched; I had no choice with Aro. I glanced at Heidi once more. My throat burned immensely now and my hand went to it, touching it gently with my fingertips.

"Thirsty, huh?" she asked. I looked at her, staring for a moment and then nodded.

"Been for a while."

"Ah, I remember being newborn…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes looking distant as I glanced around, once again staring at the walls and picking out the tiniest details I could find.

"Is it always this hard?"

"The wild, unpredictable emotions do calm down in a year or two; the burn never does go away and instincts are always there. Blood fulfills us; human blood makes us the strongest. Here, we're welcomed and have no need to hide during the day like beasts." She curled her lip a bit at the word. "It's natural. Your throat burns when you're in need to hunt. But obviously," she appeared a bit smug when she looked over me and my bloody clothing, "your instincts took over. You needed to hunt and followed the scent of our prey. Your thirst as a newborn is quite…demanding."

She paused, letting the words sink. Demanding. Killing humans; subconsciously, I knew this should disgust or at least, disturb me. But I went numb at the thought; I couldn't say that I liked or didn't like the thought. Survival of the fittest, I suppose. That was the world I was 'rebirthed' into.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

Felt like updating this thing, eh? LOL. **Please review if you can! All reviews, short or long, are greatly appreciated =)**

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We wandered into a brighter lit room. It had the same pretty white-and-grey marble, along with the green square designs. But the room was the size of a large bedroom, no more than that. Like Aro's throne room, as I was referring to it, it had little furniture. An attractive couch was pushed against the left wall and to the right, an armchair. I sniffed curiously, wondering why such a modern room was here.

"A mere storage room. Clothing to blend in above ground is kept here. You are in need of a change of clothing." Heidi said. It was a simple statement but she said as if we were equals; unlike the small feeling I had gotten when with Aro. I watched her as she started to shift through clothing racks in the back. My eyes scanned the room, noting a small corridor behind the racks.

She pulled out regular clothing and undergarments, something I did and hadn't expected. I still had the idea of ancient clothing, old Victorian perhaps, idea in my head. She pulled a smoky grey turtleneck with an odd attachment, a hood. It seemed to be the type that clung to your body tightly, but comfortably. I could see the different speckles of black, white and different shades of grey that gave it the smoky appearance. I was still amazed at how clearly I saw the world now.

A pair of dark pants came next; nothing special accompanied them.

Then a wool jacket that was black as the night. It would have been quite beautiful to my human eyes, no doubt; but to my new pair, it was simple and plain. It was nothing to gawk or stare at. It had a short collar that I imagined would pop up and stay up; it stopped about mid waist and had long sleeves that would fit nice and loose over my tight sleeves.

"You won't be going above for a while. We wouldn't want any chances of you losing control." She spoke, eyeing the clothing before handing them to me. "There are showers right around here." I gave her an odd look. She smiled and inclined her head towards them. I took the clothing gently, remembering the strength I felt earlier and stared at them silently, careful not to rip them.

The shower felt weird. The water, it didn't soak into my skin but slid off like I was actually stone. I suppose… we're dead. Our skin shouldn't be expanding and I knew that my skin was quite hard; perhaps I was a walking statue. Either way, it felt different but I still felt clean afterward. After drying off, I pulled on the clothing. I would have walked out if I had not seen the full-body mirror.

A small, silent gasp escaped my lips.

The figure that stared back at me was not Natalie Chase. My skin was a pretty white marble, pale more than anything. Just like everyone I had seen. My jaw line and face, which always appeared a bit off just like every human, appeared to have shifted and were a perfect match for each other. My body was shaped that appeared to be a perfect match to my face, from chest to my legs. I didn't look human; I looked… alien. My blonde hair that sometimes appeared as a dirty blonde as a human, had a golden sheen to it I didn't remember from any human memories.

But it was not my face that caused me to gasp. My body and hair didn't set off the silent gasp of alarm. My eyes. The irises on my face stared back at me and I blinked slowly, turning my face from one side to the other gradually. They were a brighter red than the Volturi's red gems on their crest! My eyes glistened brightly at the outer border, but they were black more than halfway to the pupil. If it had not been for my excellent eyesight, it would have been very difficult to differ the iris from the pupil.

I touched the mirror gently before I pulled back my fingers.

I took a deep breath, watching myself. The smell of a foreign shampoo and body wash came into my nostrils but my own scent too. To put it simply, I smelled quite sweet but also tart; my scent caught your attention quickly. I smelled like a citrus fruit, maybe an orange or something else. Perhaps it was just enhanced by the shampoo…

I walked out and found Heidi watching me.

"Odd isn't it? So very different from only, hmm, a few days ago?"

"Very," I said.

She glanced over me and I gingerly touched my hair, feeling it already starting to become dry. I had already applied a little of mascara and a small touch of eyeliner; I had been slightly self-conscious when I was human, wasn't everyone? But now, I felt beautiful. Even next to Heidi, who seemed godly stunning, I felt confident. I liked and actually enjoyed the feeling. No doubt I wouldn't be forgetting this moment.

"William mentioned that Aro spoke of a power… do you…?" she wondered.

I nodded. "I could… communicate with him. I opened my mind, I guess that is the only way to put it and I felt a tugging at it… like a stuck piece of fabric. When we made physical contact, I felt only his. I could hold a conversation with him if he responded to the tugging, opening his mind up to my own. I could only hear his thoughts that were aimed directly to myself."

Heidi raised her eyes, slightly impressed. I continued.

"I tried it when," I felt confidence seeping into my voice and I paused, "we weren't in any contact besides inside the same room. I opened up my mind again but this time, I felt many different pulls. One from everyone in the room I think. But somehow, I was able to pick out Aro's pull, like not one was identical to another, and was able to communicate to him. But it wasn't as clear as when I was in contact with him. Almost like I was listening to a radio but from a distance. Compared to when we touched our hands together, that was like talking into a phone."

Heidi grinned. "That's quite interesting. Are you willing to try it on me?"

I was hesitant, suspicious of her intentions but shook off the feeling and nodded.

"Let's try with contact first." I murmured.

She nodded, agreeing with me and held out her hand; I made sure only our fingertips brushed another's own. I allowed my mind to almost expand; I allowed it to open and immediately, I felt her tug on my mind. I don't think they, meaning their minds, were purposefully tugging at my own, that just seemed how my power identified each individual mind. I assumed that the tugging would be much more forceful and stronger if they were actually calling to me. And since we were touching, my mind felt no other tugging on it then Heidi's one.

I was correct in assuming the tugging was stronger; she almost dragged me into hers immediately as I opened up. I fell into her mind.

_Can you hear me?_

I grinned and she smiled back. My throat burned again and I swallowed instinctively; I didn't like how it seemed to just float in my mouth.

_Yes, I can._

_It's just venom, dear. It's what changed you into one of us._

I blinked and tilted my head but it did make sense to me. The venom must have entered my blood stream, much like a snake's, except I had only been given enough to change me and not kill me. But could've there been a possibility that I had not survived? There always had to be one. Heidi dropped the venom subject and thought again:

_You're right, Natalie. It is just like talking on the telephone._

_Will you be able to feel me pull back out?_

_Hmm… possibly. Give it a try. _Heidi jerked her chin, giving me almost a signal to do so. I felt my mind slowly creep out of hers, getting the start of a statement from Heidi's thoughts and suddenly, I felt like I was alone in my head. I pulled away my hand completely. It was an odd and different experience than when I was with Aro, taking my mind back inside itself; but they're two different people and thus with two different minds. In a way, it made sense.

"I felt something. As a human, I guess it would be light-headiness… but just a relief washed over me, especially in my head."

I nodded and then stopped suddenly. I sniffed curiously and heard different footsteps. I glanced at the door just as a very faint knock reverberated from it. The name was on the tip of my tongue; I recognized the scent and the sound of their feet…

"Demetri, come in." Heidi spoke.

The male slipped around the door and stared at us for a moment. Then he spoke:

"Aro would like you to go above to gather humans."

Heidi sighed but merely shifted her weight onto another leg. Even as the human blood drinking Volturi, they still had these small human habits. She then gave me a smile and said, "I'll bring dinner."

I smiled, getting the joke as Demetri merely shifted.

"Yes, yes, I'm going. Who will watch Natalie?"

There was a flare of anger in my body, despite the politeness and niceness Heidi had been giving me, towards her. I had to be watched? Why, I'm able to watch myself! I held back a hiss though my lip did slightly twitch and I wanted to, at least, show my frustration at her statement. But Demetri gave me no time.

"Aro said I had the pleasure of watching our newest member." Demetri's voice lost the edge of his earlier politeness. It then gained a bit of what might have been irritation, but the emotion didn't last long enough for me to determine what it really was. Heidi raised an eyebrow but erased the facial expression and left the room. She left Demetri, the polite vampire, and I, the newborn apparently, alone.

He stared blankly at me. My eyes couldn't rest; they darted everywhere… then always sneaked a peek back at his face. My throat still burned… it wasn't ever going to end, was it?


	6. Chapter 6

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

Sorry for long-waiting update. Summer is here- my schedule will be hectic, so I'll update when I can ;) **Thanks for the reviews everyone! If you can review or want to, don't be afraid of leaving one :)**

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Boredom was the first emotion I experienced after standing there for a few moments, even though my eyes darted around the room at lightning speed. My muscles tensed, prepared for almost anything (or at least, I liked to think so). My back was stiff with anticipation. I heard the faint clicking of Heidi's heels recede until they disappeared altogether. Neither Demetri or I moved. I arched an eyebrow.

Demetri seemed far more interested in staring blankly at me; it felt like he was peering right through me. My first and old human instinct, fragile and dull though, was to shudder. But my newborn instincts cut it off immediately; I didn't want to appear weak and I was most definite that I didn't want to feel it. I stood stone still.

"How long have you been…around?" The question hung in the air like a choking, deadly fog; it felt like it was hard to breath and was almost suffocating. Demetri's surprise shown on his face, but it quickly returned to its original form, expressionless, save for his slight smugness.

"Longer than you, Natalie."

I curled my lip slightly and narrowed my eyes irately. "I know _that_. But since you're avoiding the question, you're probably ancient."

His lips twitched, which I had noted were a handsome pale rose color that seemed to blend easily into his face… I growled mentally to myself, then decided distracting myself by experimenting with my power. I opened my mind widely, but hesitantly, as if walking through a pitch black cave with long strides, but with a hand outstretched in front of you, just in case. At first, I felt nothing. Then the tugging materialized.

It reared back from me, shrinking and I thought I felt it hiss inside my head. Then I realized that Demetri had actually released the hiss. But I mentally poked harder at it, trying to enter his mind to communicate. I felt the pulling, but the embrace of him letting me inside didn't come.

He smirked in front of me as I retreated back, hissing sourly and quietly through my teeth.

"Quite persistent, aren't you?" he asked, amused.

I allowed the warning snarl to leave my throat. His smile was weakly hidden and it annoyed me greatly. I debated attacking him; obviously, he had shown great skill from inside with the human… Gianna, I think Jane or him had called her. If I attacked him, would I be punished? The sudden thought of losing this new…life, if I could possibly call it that, hurt me. It angered me; I wouldn't and couldn't let anyone take this away from me. It felt so natural to just go along with my feelings, ride them like a wave as they came and even sometimes, try and control them. I enjoyed the challenge.

"Obviously, your not talkative," he murmured. He didn't try to hide his amusement at my silence.

"Be quiet," I growled. He didn't change his expression. I huffed angrily, catching his strong scent and Heidi's, which was still strong, but now becoming stale. I got the smell of the cool dampness that clung to the rock walls, the smoke from the torches I had walked by earlier, accompanied by the faint crackling of them through the doors. All seemed…normal to me, I suppose.

Home. The thought appeared suddenly in my head. Was this home now? I tried to picture my old home, one that wasn't even on this continent… I found a hazy picture of a brown building in my human memories. Part of me, I supposed what would replace my 'heart', swelled with warmth…love, that was the feeling. The feeling of security, safeness and something else I couldn't name; but what were these feelings coming from? The foggy brown house that I could barely describe? It must have been my home, once upon a time. Not anymore…the damp underground, the shadows that hid others and myself- that was my home now despite my slight disliking for the musty clamminess.

"The memories…they may become clearer- or not," Demetri stated bluntly.

I blinked, drifting back from my memory and stared at him.

"Or not?"

"Human memories are forgotten and lost easily; they are a waste of space," He said.

"And why is that?"

He stared at me, unafraid to look me in the eye, but something shifted in them. They darkened before my eyes, taking on a bit more maroon color. Around the pupil, darkness was forming. He was thirsty.

"There are far too many things to appreciate in this life rather than… that one." The last words were said with fury, and maybe a little annoyance (I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or something going through his head). A few seconds later he sighed.

"I suppose Aro would want me to show you the way," he murmured, staring at me.

I shrugged and then smirked, letting the sly grin twitch at my lips. "I don't know, Demetri," I liked how his name slid off my tongue. "I'm not Aro."

He sighed again and then spun around, opening the door. "Follow me." I sprinted to his side, in a matter of a second or so. He looked at me, over his shoulder and shook his head.

I laughed out loud, it sounded pleasantly happy and entertained, then responded, "I will."

An exasperated sigh came from Demetri. I snickered, controlling my fit of wild laughter and wondered why he was so…annoyed with 'showing me the way'. Perhaps he didn't like me. Even the thought had hurt in a way I hadn't felt in this new life and it was kind of… piercing. I mentally clutched my 'heart', wondering why the hell that had happened. The feeling disappeared after I gave a shake of my head; I shoved and fought away its agonizing thoughts.

But another part of me found it quite amusing… almost to the point of laughing again. Why? I didn't know. But I found and saw it as a challenge, one in which I was going to win by either engaging in a fight with him or by him turning out to at least appreciate my presence. Aro, I greatly assumed, knew that Demetri wouldn't care for 'watching over me' (a snarl perched on my lips from the thought, and I pursed them together, halting the sound) and had chosen him just for that reason.

Oh well. Either way, it was a challenge.

Demetri's footsteps rang out, despite them making only a very faint thudding noise, in the tunnel and mine seemed to echo his. His were a call and mine was the response; I entertained the thought while we walked. After a while (Demetri and I still hadn't exchanged a look or word with each other), when I thought we were lost, the scent hit me again. Powerful, strong and… near. My mouth watered, venom dripping into it, and the burning intensity in my throat soared sky high.

I didn't realize I had stopped and stared in the direction the scent came from. I didn't notice that Demetri had stopped too.

"Come along Natalie."

My ears twitched at his voice; something told me that I wouldn't have even acknowledged the fact that someone had spoke if it was anyone but him. I stayed perfectly still, my body tensed and was posed to run. Common sense and the instinctual hunter-prey reaction were at war in my body.

"Follow me," Demetri's voice suddenly was directly behind me.

I reacted as if a startled, but aggravated like a beast or newborn would have, I think. I spun around, growling, and lunged at him. I had caught him by surprise. Before I realized it, I had pinned him against the ground. I felt smug and proud that I had taken Demetri by surprise. The victory was short-lived, as I had let my guard down to wade into my pride; he threw me off with such force that a surprised shriek escaped my throat. As I hit the opposite wall, dazed, I heard his deadly growling from across the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

Thanks for waiting the next update you guys :) I have a slightly odd way of updating this story since I also have to work with beta-reader's schedule. But doesn't a patiently (or impatiently, which ever type of person you are :D) waited chapter "taste"(read, feel, however you want to describe it XD) better? Lol. Enjoy! **Leave a review if you want- they're quite nice & entertaining to read :)**

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I snarled, baring my teeth as I threw myself at him. I did not comprehend what I had done or was about to do; all I saw was that Demetri was a threat to my undead life. I must get rid of that threat. He met me head on, growling dangerously. I hissed in his face as I grabbed his arm, and a pained, but far more furious snarl ripped from his chest as I pinned it around his back.

Then he threw himself down on the ground, smashing me into the stone. I howled as the shock rippled up my spine, tickling it in a very painful way, and I was dazed for a second. I knew that could have- it should have- killed me if I was human. But my vampire body… it healed the broken part quickly. Demetri grabbed me just as I was about to get up and threw me again.

I skidded on my foot, paused for a moment before I launched myself at him again. He darted to the side but I spun around fast enough to catch my fist in his chest and a small whooshing of an unnecessary breath escaped his mouth. It mutated into an angry hiss and he jumped back. His hand gripped his chest for a moment.

I crouched into an attack position, flashing my teeth to him.

He straightened up; I heard the cracking of rips as they healed themselves back together as I stared at him. I hissed, angry that he was giving up. I launched myself at him again, but this time hesitantly. I just remembered that vampires could have powers- and I didn't know if he had any…

I tried to the arm grab again but it didn't work; he knew what was coming and caught mine instead. I felt his hand curl around it and I was pinned to the ground, my arm painfully twisted and sitting below my back while my left one was pinned with his hand. He had his knee on my stomach and I could feel all his weight shifting onto it. It hurt greatly.

"Are you calm?" he asked, his voice almost a monotone.

I snarled, barely getting enough air to make the sound. I stopped breathing, hoping that he'd get off quickly. He merely pressed his knee farther into my stomach and I stuttered a "yes". He was off in a second flat and stood there, staring at me. I stretched my fingers, making sure nothing was broken, and slowly got up, making sure I didn't do any sudden movements that would startle him or even myself. I knew his eyes had a deadlock stare on me. I took a deep breath, breathing in all the energy from before, and settled myself in a slouched, but slightly tense, standing position.

"You're a natural fighter."

"Aren't we all?" I whispered, irritated. He shrugged, scarcely ruffling his coat with his movement.

"It has more influence on you," he said. I knew by 'it', he meant my instincts, the things that keep me aggressive and annoyed by everyone. It was almost like puberty all over again.

"Oh." I murmured. He smirked.

"Are you okay?" I asked politely, keeping my tone level. I still felt the pride of startling Demetri, but it felt… different that I had actually hurt him. He almost looked like he was going to laugh and jut shook his head.

"I wouldn't let a little… newborn hurt me," he said.

I arched an eyebrow, thinking of pinning his arm. He frowned for a small second and I hoped he was thinking of the same thing. He looked at me, stood straighter, then flattened his hair with a hand, making it appear as it once had. I heard footsteps approaching. Felix rounded the corner and stopped when he saw us; it probably appeared like we were still facing each other off.

"I heard fighting and had to make sure you were all right, Demetri," he sneered.

Demetri stared at him, gave him a sickening polite smile and said, "You're too kind. I'm perfectly fine."

Felix nodded slowly and then turned to me.

"You gave Gianna quite a scare."

I snorted, turning my head away from him. Felix smiled creepily; it gave me an uneasy feeling. I glanced back at him and glared angrily.

"Someone told me that she was staying."

"Yes. She accepted Aro's invitation." Demetri said, looking at Felix and not me.

"What can you do?" Felix asked, tilting his head, and then looking at me.

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. I didn't feel at all comfortable with this man. I wasn't about to trust him with my power. I actually didn't want to talk to him; and I wasn't going to.

He chuckled deeply and shook his head. Then Felix turned back to Demetri; I noticed both of their eyes were darker now.

Demetri answered, I assumed after guessing his question, "Heidi left. She'll be back soon."

Felix grinned and then looked back at me.

"I wonder," he murmured. Then he chuckled again and started to leave, walking towards me. I pulled away from him, trying to avoid his touch, but he brushed my arm with his own, purposely or not. I curled my lip, irritated and frustrated, but Felix didn't turn around.

I heard a sharp intake of breath but I didn't dare turn to look at Demetri. I merely watched the large man leave until he rounded a corner and was gone.

"Let's continue, shall we?" Demetri said, his voice emotionless.

I glanced over my shoulder at him, and arched an eyebrow as he started to swiftly walk away, not waiting for my answer. I debated for a moment to race after him but decided against it; I settled my pace to about three yards behind him, walking steadily. We acted as if our little scuffle never happened.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

i'm not an impatient person... HEH. I lied XD I am, sort of :3 So, waiting for a beta-read chapter is very hard for me especially when I'm like, 8 chapters written, thus ahead of them. **sigh** But enough of my rambling :P **Thank you to all the reviews- I really appreciate all the happy feedback you guys are giving me! Demetri & Natalie thank you too ;3 Anyways, if you can, please keep reviewing! You know I wanna hear your feedback, lol!**

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Time was slow. It dragged on and on as Demetri and I wandered the hallways, silent and alone. Every so often, we'd run into another vampire, but there was never any words exchanged. Many nodded in respect toward Demetri, and then stared at me with either curious, nervous, angry, or blank looks… The list seemed to have a new type of stare each time we passed someone.

Then Demetri stopped. I blinked slowly, registering that we were back at the changing room. He was frozen in front of me, breathing deeply. Then he smiled and turned to me, the grin a bit out-of-place on his face.

"Heidi is back from fishing."

Before I could ask what fishing was, the smell hit me. Human! All the blood in their veins flowed a bit different; I strained to hear heartbeats but I only heard footsteps. A delighted growl rose in my throat, along with venom, but I stopped it. I let the smell gently caress my nostrils, allowed it to make my body freeze. I let the remembrance of the human man I had take over. It had seemed like forever ago…

"Natalie, let's go." Demetri's voice was eager, hungry. I nodded in agreement and we took off at a fast pace to the main room.

The humans we had smelled were a large group of tourists. My eyes raked over them and Demetri stopped, watching them. Women in shorts and tank tops, men in sandals and baggy T-shirts, and hats bounced on some of their heads… they were quite a sight, almost funny. I wanted to dig into them like a starving animal but Demetri had placed himself in front of me. I didn't dare to try and dodge him.

Heidi led the group. Her hips swayed confidently, and she had her head held high. She smirked, happy of her 'fishing' results, and then smiled at the two of us. She didn't break a stride though, and continued to lead the prey on.

"Fresh," she mused. Demetri grinned.

We were still a few moments away from the doors. I leaned in, whispering to Demetri:

"Fishing?"

"Heidi goes above, into the city. Lures humans down here. Tourists mainly."

"Oh."

The rest was unraveled in my head; Heidi was beautiful, easy to lure males of any age down and of course, mothers and wives felt the need to follow them but almost seemed just as… hypnotized by her as the males. Venom flooded my mouth; it felt wrong with the prey right in my face, to swallow it down. I internally whimpered and my fingers tingled, wanting to wrap around their necks and bring the precious, flowing blood to my fiery, burning throat…

Demetri glanced at me, taking in my very tense and controlled look. I hoped he could tell the pain and against-nature feeling I was going through; he nodded curtly and followed after the group of humans. My feet tingled too, wanting to break out into a run to take my share.

The door clicked closed behind us.

The air was full of tension; I could make out each murmur that was whispered from each human's mouth. It all was like a humming except all of us could pick out each of the different voices. My body… the fight was becoming too strong…

Aro made a sweeping gesture.

"Welcome!" he grinned. Then Aro flicked his hand and everyone launched in.

I was one of the first one to the group. There were screams, shrieks from men… it was blood curdling, but it only encouraged my instincts. My hands grasped any warm flesh I felt and brought the skin to my mouth. I felt my first body drop, barely hearing the thudding of it hitting the floor.

Then I noticed the boy. He was scarcely twelve, perhaps eleven… his eyes were wide and the whites of them were the most visible. His face was pale, his clothes blood splattered…I heard Felix's growl. I roared, leaping and tackled Felix before anything happened to the boy.

I had knocked the boy to the ground; his head had hit my arm at a such strong force when I shoved him out of the way, I knew his skull had broken or at least, was fractured. I stood there, my whole body rippling with snarls, and the growls that came from me were deep, animalistic… feral and wild. I wasn't Natalie anymore. I was a beast, a true vampire… Felix's eyes, a mix of dark maroon, midnight black, and bright crimson glared at me.

I snarled, challenging him, daring him to come closer.

He launched and I met him half way, all of my strength ready. I slammed into him, in mid air, and it sounded like a clap of thunder and a clash of rocks mixed together. It was loud, deafening and terrifying. The sound encouraged my fighting instincts, telling me that I had to fight. Why? I didn't remember. All my thoughts were locked on his face, his bloody and ugly face…

He grabbed my throat and slammed me down; the shock rippled through me for a second before everything healed. I attacked low, wrapping my arms around his waist and threw my weight against him. I was stronger than I thought; I had threw him enough of my weight to make him stagger, but then his arms gripped my shoulders. I let go and allowed myself to be thrown. I felt a few ribs break when I smashed against the wall; I felt a sudden pain when it punctured my lungs. I fell to the floor; the instinct to fight ebbed away… I felt my mind start to wander away…

The bones mended. I got up. Every body was being cleaned. Felix was frozen in fury, his hands clenched into tight fists and his figure looming even though he was yards away. I wasn't tired; my mind was. I was tired of the emotions. I knew I should have better control but I just…it was… I just couldn't. Impossible; the word echoed in my head.

I lifted my chin up, and glanced at Aro before I slipped through the doors and tore through the tunnels. Where was I going? I didn't know. The smells, the sights, the sounds… I ignored them all, except for the noise of my breathing and feet. That was it. That was all I needed.

I didn't dare like the angry, flushed tears appear in my eyes. I fought it off internally, roaring in my head how stupid it would be to sob and how useless it would be. The thoughts blurred and everything smeared together in my head… it was too much. I slid into a small corner, shoving myself away from the main hallway more and more. The crack poked and jabbed me uncomfortably but I didn't care. I didn't want to be seen, or be heard…

Part of me was angry; I had one body, one human. That wouldn't keep me filled for two days! Or three…I would have to leave and hunt for myself; I could leave… but this was my home! I was being torn inside; I wasn't sure if I was even Natalie when I thought of all that just happened.

I concentrated on the little boy, the memory of him, in my head. Why? Why! I roared and whimpered and screamed in my head, racking it from an answer. I pressed my legs to my chest and buried my face in my knees. What did that boy cause in my mind that stirred it to defend him?

I came up with nothing. Nothing stirred in my mind; nothing encouraged me to defend the boy. My shoulders fell in defeat and I hung my head. I stared at the blood blankly, undisturbed by its appearance on me already. Was that normal? I didn't care. I stared at it almost like I wasn't registering it was human blood.

I wasn't sure what happened after that… chaotic moment of my undead life. I knew I sat like that, safely hidden in what I realized was a room (an open closest perhaps), for some time. I was like a stone, a cold undead stone. I was frozen to my spot; I didn't twitch a muscle and didn't even dart my eyes around.

I finally got sick of the tightness, the smallness of my hiding spot and I pulled myself out. I slouched my shoulders in defeat, my head bowed and I felt sluggish, if that was possible for a vampire. Demetri suddenly rounded the corner, stalking towards me with a dark look on his face.

Was he angry? I hope he wasn't; I remembered our fight, stirring old fury and also, old pain. I took two steps back, my instincts reading if I had to flee. He abruptly stopped; his eyes widened when they saw me take a step back, almost hurt in a sense. He stared at me. Any emotion was cleaned from them.

"Are you okay?" he politely asked.

"I'm fine," I muttered quietly.

He nodded.

"Aro would like to see you."

I looked up at him and frowned. "How long have I been…"

"Very little time," Demetri answered.

"Oh." I paused. "Thank you." Demetri shifted and turned around, a silent gesture telling me to follow him. I glanced around nervously, swallowing venom, and followed after him.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

Happy, happy Penn, an update! Hope you all enjoy... a bit of a filler though. Only one more chapter till... hehe :3 I gotta keep quiet. **Thanks for the reviews! Anymore are greatly appreciated :)**

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"Ah, Natalie," Aro purred. He smiled at me, sweet and sincere. I was probably just called into the throne room to be spoke to… Demetri glanced at me, his eyes grave as they gazed over my face. As Aro stood up, I noted that Marcus and Caius were still there. He waved his hand away to Demetri.

The male vampire shifted uncomfortably before he left. Jane and Alec looked at their masters, their eyes bright as fresh blood. My throat started to itch and squirm at the thought; I would be thirsty again soon.

"Natalie, would you like to try your power again?"

I looked up at him and then nodded silently. He grinned, showing off his teeth, and waited. As soon as my mind was open, I was pulled into his.

_You surprised us all, dear one, at the feeding._

_I'm sorry. _There was laughter in my head. Not mine, Aro's own giddy laughter.

_Nothing to be sorry about dear! A newborn is a newborn; but we don't appreciate fighting among each other, so it would be in your best interest to try and control yourself. _He was sincere with his words, and I could feel it. He wanted me to stay alive, or at least, with them. He wanted me to be in there, as his guard. But there also was a dangerous note; he would carry out punishment if needed.

_Yes…sir._

I glanced at his lips as they pulled into a brighter grin.

_I'm sorry. It was just…a human memory perhaps. _This caught his surprise; I could tell by his face.

_Hmm…_

No answer. I was caught off guard, with Aro not responding. He sat there, elbow resting on the armrest of his chair and his chin wrapped in his right hand fingers. I watched him nervously, and with curiosity wondered about the thoughts that were running through his head. Suddenly, I felt like I was being pushed and shoved out of his head. I raced back to the safety of my own mind.

Caius leaned over and pressed his finger gently to Aro's left hand. He paused then pulled back, his lips pressed in a hard, straight line. Aro arched a curious eyebrow but didn't push Caius to explaining anything that surprised him or shocked him.

Aro's face lit up and he smiled.

"Ah, yes, there is always that! But she is too young to handle that."

Caius pressed his finger into Aro's hand again. A dark frown came over Aro's previously happy face.

"Perhaps. But she is far too valuable, my dear brother, at the moment to get rid of. A mistake is a mistake, but she shall not make another one. Correct, Natalie?"

I nodded, unsure of what they were really communicating about.

Aro grinned and shooed me away. I left silently, disturbed, and was startled when suddenly Demetri was beside me. I curled my lip; it was the beginning of a snarl, but as soon as I realized it was him, I didn't let it escape me. He smirked but quickly recovered his face into a more blank appearance.

"And where have you been?" I asked, following him down the hall. I had little idea where we were going but followed him nonetheless. Confidence was strong in my mind and I had a slight cocky air that I could hold up a fight with him if it came to that again.

"Here and there," he answered.

"Hmm."

He glanced over his shoulder, stopping a few yards ahead.

"And that doesn't make you curious?"

He was curious. Why? I don't know. I shrugged, glanced around before my eyes rested on him.

"I don't know what you do in your spare time. I have little knowledge of this place," I tore past him for a second then dropped into a slow, human-paced walk when I had gained a few yards ahead of him, "And I have almost no idea what goes on through your head. I think it's perfectly normal to not to be too curious about _your_ whereabouts."

He arched an eyebrow.

"And I would prefer that you stay out of my head," he caught up, since I had halted, and stared down at me. I pursed my lips; I disliked that, though only by a few inches, he was taller me and had a very easy way of looking down at me.

"It's only talking," I said as he turned and continued down the tunnel.

"Hmm," he answered, with a perfect reflection of my own hum. I shook my head.

"Are you afraid?" I smirked when I said it, falling in pace with him.

He laughed and glanced at me.

"Afraid? Of you? Newborn, you have no idea who you're talking with, do you?"

I frowned. "Demetri of the Volturi."

He chuckled, darker this time, and added, "Best tracker in the world, newborn."

I frowned at him, trying to pull up a definition for 'tracker' in this new world. I came up blank and glanced up at him, hoping he would get the question. He answered, widening his stride a bit so he was ahead of me.

"A tracker is someone who tracks prey over long and vast areas."

He switched had the word 'humans' with the word 'prey'. I didn't like the space that was becoming more and more apparent so I raced to his side. He glowered at me for a moment and I gave a slight cheeky grin back.

"Where are we going?" I asked after long, silent moments of walking.

Demetri sighed. "We're going above. If you were listening, Aro had said that I could take you above."

"Oh," I whispered, embarrassed. I hadn't been listening; between being startled by Demetri's sudden appearance and my mind wrapped around what Aro and Caius could have exchanged, I had not heard anything. Or, possibly, that I did hear something but it went through one ear and out the other. A habit I must have kept over from my human life.

"Hunting?" I asked.

Demetri nodded.

"Aren't you privileged to take a newborn above," I mused, smirking at the easiness it came to tease him.

He laughed darkly. Immediately, any confident emotions escaped me and I felt small again. I had yet to fully understand how dangerous Demetri was but that laugh gave me a hint. Demetri was not someone you push too far.

"Oh I am. If you get out of hand too much or even get near to revealing us to humans, I have the privilege to get rid of you," he said. He glanced at me, his pale lips pulled into a mix of smirking and grinning.

"That's…wonderful," I muttered.

He laughed again, pausing at a dreary looking exit. I could smell the fresh air. Little trickles of human scent were also in the breeze. I sniffed curiously.

"Ladies first," he said, opening the door.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Twilight World & all reconizgable characters from it are (c) Stephanie Meyer! I own only Natalie! Beta-read by ShadowWolf43!**

Finally, an update! Hope everyone enjoys it! **All reviews & favoriting/story alerting are greatly appreciated:)**

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A small gust of wind blew in my face. I shook my head but slid past Demetri, energy and excitement starting to boil in my body. A dark set of stairs that was behind the ancient set of wooden doors was the only thing that was between freedom and I. Demetri glanced at me as he silently let the door click shut behind him and took the stairs two at a time. I followed blissfully behind him. I just noticed how nice he smelled; the wind blew towards me and carried his scent. I stared at his back, mesmerized by it for a few moments before I tore my eyes away, feeling quite odd.

The air tingled with my excitement as I tasted and smelled the increasingly fresher air. Demetri chuckled ahead of me as he slowed down, allowing me to walk beside him.

"You look excited," he commented.

I nodded, eyes focused only up. His eyes followed mine, licking his lips.

"Not long now," he murmured.

Then he begun to travel faster and I wondered if my own excitement was getting to him. He once again started to take the steps by twos and I quickly followed in pursuit. As a human, I could barely take stairs by sets of twos but now it seemed natural and easy to bound across them. I glanced at Demetri, my eyes gazing over his face's features. Then he caught me looking and I immediately glanced away, moving faster to pass him, trying to get to the door.

"You said 'not long now', but it's been…" I started, then went with the natural left curve of the stairs and met the door. "Oh."

Demetri reached my side, giving a small smirk at me. "As I said, not long now." He unlocked it and flicked it open.

The feel of the night air was like dipping my face into fresh, cold water. It washed over my skin and I felt refreshed. I felt… I felt freedom at the tip of my tongue, my fingertips and my whole body wriggled with excitement. But the cool air didn't quench the burning, roaring fire in my throat. It reminded me of what we were doing out here. Hunting, feeding myself so I could get through the next few days. Demetri followed more hesitantly to the outside behind me, but I supposed that was because he had to watch me.

"Volterra is quite beautiful at night," he murmured, walking beside me.

I nodded in agreement. "Far more pretty than during the day. At night, with the moon," I glanced up; it stood out gorgeously against the midnight sky and pale stars, "the city seems to glow with life."

Demetri chuckled darkly. "Ah, yes… with much life. Where do you wish to go? Of course, the city is off limits but we are allowed to go off into the countryside." Demetri swept his hand towards the wall.

I glanced at him, catching his magnificent ruby eyes in the night and whispered, "The countryside."

He grinned and then whispered back, "I think you may know the way."

We raced through the moonlit city like cats. We were silent and stealthy; the hunters racing towards our prey. Lean, mean, fighting machines made to hunt and kill. I couldn't help but admire his body as he moved. He barely acted like a human anymore; his quite alien behavior, accent, and looks just drew me in more.

If I had a heart, it would be stuttering from the emotions bursting inside me.

I laughed at the moment and sped up, eating up the ground like the perfect racehorse. I loved the feeling of running, the trees barely moving by me but yet, in my mind, I imagined them flying by. I loved the wind barely touching my face, caressing it like a lover and soothing my excitement to a content, calm, and happy state. I adored tasting the scent of Demetri and the landscape as we got out of the city. I loved smelling the closed flowers, the trees and the grass. They told such tales of what had gone by. I didn't know where to start.

He glanced at me, his eyes gleaming with hunger and… lust, my mind told me. Why? I didn't ask. I glanced towards the forest, taking a wary step forward. I glanced around, my eyes completely absorbed by the world around me. The rustling of the foliage on the trees, the grass blades moving underneath our feet, the distant bird calls from away from here.

I saw Demetri smile, and it was a true, honest-to-God smile. I spun around, to get a quick glance at it. It was like the moon in Volterra; in the day, with its sparkling sun, it would be completely unreal but truly there, right before my eyes. But here, it was magical; it was like the moon reflecting off the lake; a small ripple that grew more as it crossed over his face.

It immediately disappeared when he saw me staring at him, but then he started to speak.

"We should get going. Your eyes are almost a midnight black," he said.

I nodded, feeling my own smile come over my face.

We raced through the forest now, trusting our feet not to trip from the twisting roots of the trees around us. I would always want to stop and listen, but Demetri was persistent; we kept moving on. He would always say "Further, away from the city" and "We're too close; authorities will notice" and things similar. It was funny; serious, but funny at the same time.

Suddenly, Demetri sped past me and halted at a tree line, his whole body now locked in a stance. I slid up next to him, possibly too close for him because he glanced warily at me before gazing back out into the pasture.

It was a young couple. A female and a male, both no older than twenty-three. Demetri's breathing suddenly became very low as he watched them, his eyes moving ever so slowly that I couldn't sit and stare at them like I wanted- he would notice too quickly.

"The prey has been spotted," he murmured, tearing his gaze from the couple to me. "You may hunt. But quickly. They're young; we don't know-"

"Aren't you going to feed?" I interrupted, staring up at him. He shook his head.

"Unlike you, I fed myself when told too," he said, smirking ever so slightly, "so no. Why do you ask?"

I shrugged, refusing to answer his question. I chose to ask one myself. "Do I have to kill them both?" He nodded, glancing back out at them.

"Is that why you were asking? Unable to finish them off, newborn?" he murmured, his lips cracking into a wider smirk. I growled playfully.

"I will be able to finish them both myself, then," I sneered back at him and then bounded out into the green fields.

The man held a flashlight, and from here, I could hear their laughter and whispers perfectly. I crawled up like a lion, almost flat on my belly. But suddenly, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I could hear their hearts pumping the glorious blood through their bodies, making them so alive and so delicious looking. I had to attack. I was near them in seconds; all I got was a squeak from the woman before I both had them on the ground. I tore their throats out, making sure only tiny gurgles were able to escape them before I started to drain the male. His blood was slowly draining my throat of the fire; I finally found the right water to put it out, for now at least. I shifted my position, trying to get the very last of this poor soul's blood but then- I smelled a scent. At first, all I recognized what that it was a male vampire and I spun around, my lip curled aggressively, growls gritting from my lungs to out of my mouth and my stance offensive towards the intruder.

This was my prey! _Mine_. No one was going to take it away from me!

But then I realized whom I was snapping at. I knew his frosted brown hair, his ruby red eyes that gleamed with intrigue and his stance that spoke all defensive to me. This is no stranger, this is no intruder- this is Demetri, best tracker of the world. I still didn't know how he tracked his prey. But at the moment, I didn't care.

I was lost in his eyes. They held me to the spot, the very spot where I was draining the goodness from my prey. His eyes held me in a welcoming cage of red; the maroon pools were like a cold, dark sun. They wrapped around me and we merged together, his eyes and my own. He didn't look away this time.

His gaze gradually came to the bleeding female and I instinctively put my foot forward. His eyes darted back to my eyes and a shiver ran down my spine but I felt my head nod. I would allow him to touch my kill, my hunt. I still had to finish my meal. I brought the body back to my lips and drained the rest of it. The fire in my throat had all but died. I felt full, blissful, and just bursting with energy now. Demetri stood above, away from his already drained female.

I raised my eyebrows in slight surprise but said nothing about it. He scooped up the female's body and tore back to the woods; I burst past him, carrying the male in my arms. We quickly dug holes and tossed the bodies down in them after taking out any identification. Demetri pulled out a few matches and I watched him warily, my neck hair instinctively standing on end from seeing them. He lit a few on then tossed them into the pit and we stood yards away, watching the glistening flames lick at the dead bodies. Not before long, their faces were unrecognizable.

We returned the dirt into the pit and slowly, the scent of burning flesh wasn't so apparent. I made sure to make the dirt look undisturbed as possible but I had little idea how humans saw things now. I stepped back to admire our work, silence hanging thick in the air between us.

I looked up at him, glancing curiously. He caught my eyes and once again, I froze. But I found the strength to speak.

"What time is it?" I murmured.

He looked up for a few heartbeats then looked back at me. "Soon to be morning; but we have hours of darkness still." His voice was a soft whisper, the quiet babble of a brook as he said those words.

I nodded, starting to walk through the woods. When I heard no footsteps, I spun around and practically rammed into Demetri. He was so near; his scent intoxicated me, it filled my nostrils and teased my head, my body. His lips were so close, so very excruciatingly close. I glanced at them and then back up at his eyes, leaning back.

He whispered something, ever so softly I had to strain to here it. But I couldn't understand it. I stared at him, my brow locking into a small, confused frown. He smirked.

"It's Italian," he murmured, inching closer.

"What did it mean?" I murmured back, watching his lips close the distance between our faces and his eyes becoming increasing close to mine.

He chuckled, his cool breath tingling my skin around my throat. "You have something on your face."


End file.
